The Adventures of Asher

Halloween

2008-11-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Asher insisted on being Big Bird for Halloween. He's so particular about everything. The funny thing is, he's never watched Sesame Street. His only exposure to Big Bird has been in a couple of Elmo books (BB only had a supporting role) and watching BB sing along with Elmo on a short clip we periodically watch on youtube. We had a hard time finding a BB costume; seems that he's not so popular with the kiddos anymore. We found one online and luckily it fit when it arrived. Jeff thought that Asher was cool because he was so "old school" and didn't want to be a typical character like Spiderman or Elmo.

We took Asher trick or treating to about 8 to 10 houses and it was more than enough for him. He really didn't care much about any of the candy except for the lollipops, of which he is now practically obsessed. Jeff's favorite comment came from a man who answered one of the first doors we knocked on, "What are you? A chicken?"

We then stopped by our friends Rob and Lisa's house, where we were met by an intimidating Dracula that supposedly goes by "Henry" during the day. Spooky.

These are the pumpkins we got from the pumpkin patch. We had a jack-o-lantern for everyone in the family, including Oreo (oops, we forgot Baby X).

Baby X

2008-11-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

It's been quite a while since I last blogged. A lot has happened- some bad, some good. For those who don't know:

I Love Vacations

2008-09-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago we went to Bend, OR for 3 days. It's one of our favorite places for mountain biking and hiking. We had such a great time.

The first day we rode our bikes on a trail that was right next to the resort were we were staying. It was the first time that we took Asher on an actual mountainbiking trail. He rode in a bikeseat on Jeff's bike, and though it forced Jeff to be much less daring than he likes to be, we still had an amazing time. Asher even liked the downhills and the "bumpity bumpities". And Jeff still climbed hills better than me, even with an extra 30 pounds on his bike (as he frequently reminded me).

The next day we went on a beautiful hike. Asher loved it, and as you can see in the photos below, so did we. In the afternoon, Jeff went mountainbiking on his own while Asher and I hung around the resort. The 3rd day we went biking again on a trail with amazing scenery. Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures from our bike rides- I guess we were having too much fun.

The rest of the weekend was filled with time by the pool, walking around downtown Bend, getting ice cream and pizza, and hanging out in our condo.

Old Fashioned Summertime Fun

2008-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few random shots of various activities we've done with Asher this summer. Ahhh...to be a kid again.

Riding the carousel with Mom.

Carousel with Dad.

One of Asher's favorite places, a water park near downtown.

Car ride at our local amusement park with girlfriend Ibby.

Driving a tractor at the zoo with friend Mishko looking on.

Riding a toy horse at the zoo.

Allie and Audrey

2008-07-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

My two nieces, who I just adore, came to visit earlier this month, along with my sister and brother-in-law, of course. They stayed with us for a week and even though it was a bit hectic in our house, we loved it. Asher got along with them so well, mainly because Allie and Audrey were so sweet to him. We tried to do a lot of activities, though at times it was hard to coordinate everyone's schedules and get everyone out the door.

First night in Portland, at the park.

Watching and playing with fireworks in the backyard.

Allie (she's 6)

Audrey (she's 4)

Are they not the cutest?

Popcorn and a video after a long day

Hanging out in the barn at a berry farm.

Picking strawberries in Sauvie Island (about 1/2 hour from Portland)

Audrey and Asher goofing around

Ruled by Lists

2008-07-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

It's a pretty well known fact about me that I can't function without making lists. Almost every morning I write a list of to-do's for the day, and while I do, Asher tries to grab my pen or repeatedly asks me to draw something for him. So a few weeks ago I thought I would solve this problem by explaining to him what I was doing, and to help him remember what was on the list, I drew pictures. Asher loved it and spent the day looking at the list and recapping what we had accomplished (this is the kind of stuff that makes me proud!)

Since then, I've started "drawing" simplified versions of my to-do-lists and my grocery lists when Asher gets too curious about what I'm writing. When Jeff saw one of them for the first time recently, he immediately said, "You've got to put this on the blog!" (probably because he wants everyone to see/know that I'm a big dork). So here is an example.

1. Drink tea (me) and milk (asher)
2. Make and eat oatmeal
3. Get dressed
4. Go get some donuts to take to friends' house (I swear we hardly ever, ever do this)
5. Go to our friends' house for a play date (all the kids, moms, and pets are shown)
6. Go home and take a nap (for the record, I don't nap with him, I just pretend to)
7. Make cookies (I don't think we ever got around to this one that day)
8. Go to the park with Dad when he gets home from work.

His Dad's Boy

2008-07-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Now if Jeff could only get Asher to talk about the NBA with him in addition to shooting baskets, then his life will be complete. (Just kidding, Honey).

Neighborhood Park

2008-07-01T15:07:00.001-07:00

We are lucky to live walking distance from several parks. These pictures and videos are from last Sunday at one of Asher's favorite parks; we call it the "peekaboo park" because it has a heavily planted area where we like to sneak around and play "peekaboo".

Hanging out with Dad

These videos are really short but I thought I'd include them anyway.

Trip to Bellevue

2008-07-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Asher and I tagged along with Jeff on his weekly business trip to Bellevue, WA a couple of weeks ago. Bellevue is a suburb of Seattle and it's about a 3 hour drive from Portland. Jeff's schedule is pretty tight when he's there, so besides joining us for lunch one of the 2 days we were there and spending the evenings with us, we were pretty much on our own. The first day we stayed in Bellevue and went to a large, beautiful park and to a bookstore; the second day we ventured out of town to a nearby city called Kirkland where we discovered a lake with a beach area and a quaint town center with great shops and restaurants.

"Rock climbing" at the park.

What is it with kids and playing in sand- they never seem to tire of it.

This is why we live in the Northwest; it's so easy to stumble upon beautiful areas that you never even knew existed.

Sitting in a lifeguard chair near the lake.

Dancing in front of a cow/dog statue in Kirkland

How Not to Save Money

2008-06-25T15:42:00.000-07:00

Being a less than 1.25 income family is not always easy. We're always trying to think of ways to save money and be frugal. We've had to give up certain luxuries, most recently, cable tv. And much to my dismay, I have had to give up my regular color/hightlight appointments with the hairdresser. So a few weeks ago I decided that I was more than capable of highlighting my own hair. I researched it on line, I looked at different options, I gathered all my supplies, and I was ready to go. A couple of hours later...

Need I say more? ORANGE!

After ignoring Jeff's pleas to call a professional to undo the damage (it was Sunday and I didn't want to wait till my hairdresser was available), I went back to the beauty store, begged the sales lady for help, and was thankfully able to have my all-over-brown hair back. Needless to say, I think I'll be happy without highlights for a while.

How Life Has Changed

2008-06-14T16:02:00.000-07:00

Our friend Tracy, who now lives in New Zealand, visited Portland earlier this month. It was great to see her and meet her 2nd baby girl. It also gave all of us Portland folks an excuse to get together and catch up. Our friends Lisa and Rob hosted a wonderful brunch and allowed all of our kids to destroy their house. We all couldn't help but reflect on how life has changed so much over the past 2 1/2 years; back then, none of us were parents and things were so different. And now when we get together, it's a totally different experience. No longer can we eat in peace or even have a complete conversation. But, of course, none of us are complaining. After being friends for so many years, it's so fun to see our kids play with each other.

Goofing Around

2008-06-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

For some reason Asher is fascinated by our shop vacuum. Jeff was using it a few days ago and Asher started playing with the hose. Then he made it into an "O" and started singing and dancing.

Cool Video

2008-06-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

Check out this video Jeff took of one of the exhibits at the aquarium: a glass tunnel surrounded by water and sea life.

Memorial Day/Anniversary Weekend

2008-06-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

We went to Newport, Oregon (a beach town) on Memorial Day weekend. Jeff took an extra day off because it was also our wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, it rained half the time we were there, but we still managed to have fun. We played on the beach, visited the aquarium, ate local fresh seafood, and did a little sight seeing. And, we successfully flew a kite! (thanks to Jeff's skills and persistence).

Strolling through the town center.

Asher had a blast playing in the sand. Even if it wasn't even warm enough to take our jackets off.

Jeff helping Asher with his dismount off of a stone whale at the aquarium.

This is probably my favorite picture of Jeff and Asher together. Just look at my handsome boys.

Cute Pics

2008-05-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pictures of Asher. He was excited to have shorts on. Unfortunately, "shorts weather" only lasted about 2 days.

Where Does the Time Go?

2008-05-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Before we had Asher, I remember always hearing parents talking about how busy they were, and how they never seem to have anytime for themselves. Although I believed them, I think part of me always wondered, "What could they be doing all day?"

Well, I definitely don't wonder anymore. These pictures show a tiny sliver of a typical day with Asher and where some of my time goes. I've learned that being a parent means getting things accomplished in baby steps, or often, with two steps forward and one step back. Meaning, in order to get dinner made, for instance, you have to be willing to let you child create a mess (that you will later have to clean up of course) so long as it keeps him occupied for a while.

Trouble in the Basement

2008-05-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I went down to the basement to put a load of laundry in the dryer. I pushed the start button and nothing happened. The buttons were lit and I could hear the motor trying to spin, but nothing moved. I couldn't believe it. How could our barely year old dryer already be broken? After telling Jeff about it and cooling off, I called to have a repairman come look at it. Two days later, the repairman came to our house and I nervously showed him the dryer and explained to him the problem. I left the laundry room assuming that in a few minutes I would get the bad news- resulting in a large, several hundred dollar service fee, of course. Instead, the repairman showed me this.

Apparently, our dear son Asher had decided to somehow find a dirty sponge (that Jeff had used to clean our grill) and carefully insert it in the slot where the lint filter fits. The repairman tried to give Asher the benefit of the doubt by saying that maybe the sponge somehow accidentally got sucked into the lint trap, but I could tell that he himself didn't believe it. And since nothing was actually broken and the repairman hardly spent anytime at our house, he didn't even charge us a service fee!

The incident reminded me and Jeff of a couple of similar stories. Our nephew Matthew once put a grilled cheese sandwich in a VCR, and our friends' son Isaac put a tortilla in a DVD player. You gotta hand it to kids; they're curious, creative, and experimental, and as long as no one gets hurt, is there really any harm done?

Snack Time

2008-05-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Contrary to what these pictures of Asher lounging might portray, things have actually been pretty busy around our house. I've been working on a project from home (helping another architect on a mountain vacation house) and so I'm back to having a nanny watch Asher once in a while, working on weekends, attempting to work in the evenings, etc.

We had a really nice, mellow Mother's Day (although we forgot to take pictures). Jeff and Asher surprised me with a jacket that I had tried on a couple of weeks before but refused to spend the money on. Thanks boys! Traditionally, I like to do something active and then go out for a nice meal on my special days (i.e. birthdays). But since the weather wasn't too great on Sunday, we were sort of at a loss of what to do. We ended up going to a park to attempt to fly the new kite we got for Asher. It was either lack of skill (definitely yes on my part) or lack of wind, but the darn thing would not stay up. I don't know if Asher enjoyed it, but Jeff and I had so much fun laughing and running around as the kite continuously crashed to the ground (and we also provided quite the entertainment for several onlookers). Later in the evening we went on a long walk and then had a nice dinner at home.

These pictures are of Asher eating one of his new favorite snacks- popcorn. He loves to sit out on our front porch when he eats it (I did it with him once and now he insists on doing it every time). Isn't he growing up so fast?

Just shooting the breeze.

Asher's sense of humor has been great lately. For instance, he loves to take songs that he knows and insert different words in them. Today he was singing, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...Up above the world so high, like a mommy in the sky", or "Cookie dough in the sky", and then he just cracks up. Here he is making silly faces and sounds.

I still don't know where he got his eyes.

Is it the end of April already?

2008-04-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

The weather pattern has been so strange here lately. Rainy and cold most of the time with occasional nice, sunny days, just to tease us. Last weekend was nice so we definitely took advantage of it as much as possible.

Asher and I have started going to music class again (a class where we sing, dance, and play with instruments). We've also been going to a gym/tumbling class, similar to the one that Jeff and Asher used to go to on Saturdays. I'll take some pictures in the classes this week so I can post them.

Here are a couple of photos of Asher in his new duds and shoes (we finally got around to getting him some new shirts that fit him!). Also, Jeff asked me to post this video; for some demented reason he thinks it's funny. It's a video of Asher tipping over in his chair while he and Jeff were sitting in the backyard. Asher didn't get hurt and didn't even cry and I guess Jeff just thought it was funny that the whole thing was caught on video.

Babysitting Swap

2008-04-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

Asher's friend Mishko came over to our house last Saturday while his parents went out to dinner. We've been trading off babysitting duty with them and it's been great. We do it before the boys' bedtime so it's nice and easy. Plus we live within blocks of each other.

It was especially easy on Saturday because the weather was great so we had no problem keeping the boys entertained. We played in the backyard and at the park, fed them dinner, let them watch a short video, and by that time the night was pretty much over.

Back Home

2008-04-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty busy week last week. We left early Tuesday morning (at 5 am) to drive to Bellevue, WA with Jeff. It was great to see Jeff's towers in person, though I was disappointed that I didn't get to tour them (kids are not allowed on a jobsite). But it was still nice to see Jeff's office there (I expected a dumpy temporary space by the jobsite, but instead it was a super cool, modern sales office), meet some of the people he works with, stay in the hotel he stays in every week, and be in a different environment for a couple of days. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures while I was there but next time we go, I definitely will.

The rest of the week was pretty mellow. I'm still trying to find another project to take on, but I now realize that I have to start getting more agressive due to the slump in the market. I did find out that I will be teaching an evening class again in July though.

Here are a couple of pics of Asher "helping" me with the dishes. I think I mentioned before that this was one of his favorite activities around the house. It actually creates more work for me, but it does keep him occupied long enough for me to get things done around the kitchen.

Happy Birthday, Jeff

2008-04-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

Jeff's birthday was last Sunday. I surprised him with a weekend getaway to Mt. Hood. But instead of snowboarding and skiing like we did BA (Before Asher), we went sledding (or tubing). It turned out to be a blast. Asher loved the snow (he definitely gets this more from Jeff than from me); he loved stomping in it, climbing it, eating it, and of course sledding down it.

Afterwards, we went to one of our very favorite Oregon restaurants, Calamity Jane's, a hamburger joint that's been around for a long time and that we regularily visit on our way back from skiing/snowboarding/biking in Mt. Hood.

After taking a break in our cabin (and trying everything in our power to get Asher to take his regular afternoon nap), we drove back up the mountain to Timberline Lodge, another one of our favorite Oregon places. Asher quickly fell asleep on the way and, against our better judgement, we woke him up when we arrived at the lodge a few minutes later. Unfortunately, my plans of hanging out by the beautiful fireplace, sipping hot drinks, and having wonderful conversation with Jeff were completely ruined by a very fussy, needing-to-nap toddler. Jeff and I literally gulped down our drinks and hurriedly stuffed our faces with fondu while Asher whined and cried and demanded that we leave.

We assumed he'd crash as soon as we got back to the cabin, and that we would then be able to watch a movie or at least talk, but he ended up getting a second wind and staying up way past 10. So although it was a great day overall (besides maybe the time at the lodge), I definitely learned a lesson: never plan a day with specific events that assume your child is going to follow a schedule.

The next day we went out for brunch, stopped at an outlet mall, then headed home. We ended the day with a very chocolatey cake that Asher and I made (I still owe Jeff a homemade birthday dinner, his favorite, chicken pot pie).

Getting all bundled up

Wheee...

Asher kept trying to make snowballs but his mittens wouldn't coooperate

Even though it was cold and snow was coming down, it really wasn't as bad as it looks here.

A family shot before we leave for lunch

Fast asleep on the way to the lodge

Going for a walk after brunch

Happy Birthday, Jeff

Watch how we crash into Jeff at the end of this video.

Big Boy Bed

2008-03-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

About 3 weeks ago we converted Asher's crib into a toddler bed. The good news is that he loves it and loves the fact that it's a "big boy bed". The bad news is that it really hasn't improved his sleep much. Meaning, Asher still wakes up every night and cries because he wants to come sleep in our bed (and we almost always cave in and let him).

At first it seemed to be working; when he'd wake up at night, I'd just crawl in his bed with him, wait til he fell back asleep, and then sneak back to our room. But that didn't last. Now when I try to do that he cries and screams "Noooo...mama D bed!!" ("D" is his name for Jeff). So, like many other parents we know, we are hoping that this is just a phase and that eventually we'll be able to break him of this habit (or perhaps resort to bribery. Hee Hee)

Aside from that, Asher is doing great. He is just so much fun and full of personality. He still loves to recite the alphabet (though he always seems to skip over "j k" and a few other letters), and now loves to count too (often it is "1, 2, 3, 4, 9..."). He's also really into singing and is actually getting pretty good at carrying a tune. His favorite songs are the basics, "Twinkle, Twinkle", "Wheels on the Bus", etc. though he also makes up his own silly songs and absolutely loves it when Jeff and I sing them too. Also, one of his all time favorite things to do is to sing "The Immigrant Song" by Led Zepplin with Jeff. As you might imagine, his daddy is so proud.

Here are a few photos.

Asher acting goofy before bathtime.

Asher looking cool in his new hat, in front of his big boy bed.

Short but Sweet

2008-03-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of short videos of Asher doing something he loves- playing with Play-Doh.

Toddler Labor

2008-03-09T15:31:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about kids is that they don't typically know the difference between work and play. Just about anything could seem like a fun activity or an adventure to them. For instance, occasionally I put Asher next to me on the counter while I wash the dishes and I give him a couple of plastic cups and a sponge and he absolutely has a blast. Or if I ask him to help me move the clothes from the washer to the dryer and then push the button to start it, he just thinks it's the neatest thing.

So last week I decided that we should wash our very filthy car. In a few minutes Asher was covered with bubbles and his clothes were soaking wet and of course he had a great time. He eventually lost interest but by that point the car was at least a bit more presentable .

Early Spring?

2008-02-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

The weather has been incredible here, especially for February. We really haven't seen much rain the last couple of weeks and the highs have ranged in the mid 50's to an occasional 60! So of course we have been spending as much time as possible outside- going to the park, playing in the backyard, and going on walks. The rain is supposed to return tomorrow, but in the meantime, I'll continue to daydream that Spring is here.

Party Video

2008-02-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from Asher's party.

Birthday Party

2008-02-24T15:33:00.000-08:00

We had Asher's birthday party last Saturday at our house. We kept it pretty small; we invited close friends, including Asher's two best friends Mishko and Olivia. We didn't know how Asher would react to all the attention, noise, sugar, and people. But he had a great time! He was very social, silly, and playful. He seemed so excited to have his buddies there, and, of course, the cupcakes, ice cream, balloons, and new toys didn't hurt.

Our Birthday Boy

2008-02-09T16:40:00.000-08:00

Thursday was Asher's birthday. Jeff and I can't believe our little baby is now a 2 year old boy. We are having a party for him on Saturday the 16th, but of course we still celebrated his birthday on the actual day.

In the morning I took Asher to a big toy store in downtown portland and we spent about an hour and a half there. Asher picked out a few toys and puzzles and we got some information on train tables and train sets (the big present that we will be giving him at his party).

We then went to meet Jeff for lunch (pizza). In the evening, we had cake and ice cream (Asher's favorite food of all time), sang happy birthday, and opened the birtday cards and gifts that we got in the mail (thanks everyone).

Random Pics

2008-02-09T16:36:00.001-08:00

Hello. It's been a pretty good week around here. I'm in between projects (work-wise) so I've been able to fully focus on Asher and to get some stuff done around the house. Here are a few random shots that we took this week.

Bedtime

2008-02-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

Asher and I are always on our own on Tuesday nights because Jeff travels to Bellevue, Washington for work. It's hard having Jeff gone every week, but we try to make the best of it. Sometimes we just stay home and play, other times we get invited to friends' houses for dinner, and occasionally we go out to shop or to eat or to have some kind of "date".

I try to take pictures every Tuesday so that Jeff doesn't feel like he's missing out on too much. These pictures were taken last week after Asher's bath. Asher and I were getting ready to read books in his room before bedtime. I am sure any parent would agree with me that their child is especially cute right after bathtime, when they're all snugly, warm, and smell fresh of baby shampoo.

Hoop Dreams

2008-02-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

My brother Sherif sent Asher a Ben Wallace Chicago Bulls jersey, and Asher absolutely loves it. He keeps insisting on wearing it, whether it's to go out, have dinner, play, or go to sleep. He usually insists that Jeff wear his basketball jersey too (a Ben Wallace Detroit Pistons jersey).

Jeff, of course, is very happy that Asher is already showing signs of loving basketball; I'm sure that pretty soon he'll start teaching him all about the NBA teams and players (he's already been teaching him how to pass the ball and shoot baskets).

And by the way, Asher also loves the hat that he's wearing in these pictures (his Aunt Colleen gave it to him). He chooses it over his other hats almost every time.

Shopping with Asher

2008-01-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

We haven't taken much pictures or videos this week, so I'll post a video from a couple of months ago. This was taken last November. When we were in Chicago, Jeff, Asher, and I tried to do some shopping. I say "tried" because it is typically rather unproductive- I think you will see why in this video. We went to DSW Shoes, which I had been told was a "higher end" outlet shoe store. As you can see, we spent most of the time cleaning up after Asher rather than trying on shoes.

But you know, I can honestly say that these silly things Asher does almost make up for the fact that my shoe collection has been drastically diminished over the last couple of years- almost.

Busy Boy

2008-01-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

Nothing new much this week. Asher has just been so funny and silly lately. Jeff keeps saying that he wishes he could "bottle him" at this age so he can take him with him everywhere he goes. We've been taking more videos of him lately so I plan on posting a couple of them soon.

Asher loves "fixing" things with Jeff. Notice how Jeff is actually letting him use the wrench.

Well done, guys!

Now that it's cloudy, Asher loves his sunglasses that he refused to wear last summer.

Asher decided to wear my hat for a change. He then went to look at himself in the mirror and cracked up.

Asher has recently gotten very attached to Elmo, which is ironic since he's never watched Sesame Street (or much TV actually). Too bad he didn't get attached to one of his many other unique stuffed toys. I guess Elmo just has a special power over kids.

It seems like every time I am carrying Asher, I am carrying Elmo too.

Like I said, Asher is just so silly lately. He makes us laugh all the time.

Happy 2008!

2008-01-13T15:08:00.001-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. It's been an especially busy couple of weeks. I'm still trying to finish up a project that I started last year and I am working on a proposal for another one. Plus, once again I am looking for a new nanny.

Other than that, things are great. I enrolled Asher in two classes last week. The first is a music class (the kids sing songs, dance, and play instruments), and the second (which will start next month) is a gym class that Jeff is going to take him to. Speaking of Jeff, he and Asher just loved spending lots of quality time together over the holidays. They did lots of things together, including "guy" things like going to the hardware store.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks.

Jeff insisted that we get Asher a haircut last week. I still haven't forgiven him (neither have most of my girlfriends). I miss Asher's curls. Plus, I can't believe how much older he looks now. He definitely doesn't look like a baby anymore.

This is Asher's hair pre haircut. Look at those curls!

Breakfast on a lazy day.

Much to my dismay, Asher seems to have developed Jeff's taste in food rather than mine lately. Meaning, he likes things like pizza but no longer enjoys vegetables. But I do have to take the blame for the fact that he loves ice cream and sweets.

Asher never seems to want to get into the bath, but once he's in, he loves it (especially if Jeff is goofing around with him).

Christmas Break

2007-12-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff has been off work all week and it's been great. It's been nice to just relax and get some quality family time together. We didn't do much the last couple of days due to the rain and bad weather and to all of us catching colds. But we did make a turkey, bake some cookies (gave some to friends and neighbors), and watch Spiderman 3 (Jeff's choice though I ended up liking it too). I'll post more pics from this week later, but in the meantime...

Asher really likes the puzzles that his aunt Rhonda sent (thanks, Rhonda).

But tape measures can be just as fun.

It actually snowed on christmas day, though it didn't stick. Jeff took this picture in our backyard.

Ugh. My birthday.

2007-12-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

Monday was my birthday. I seriously don't ever remember liking my birthday; for one thing, it's a reminder of another year gone by, for another, it falls in the winter, my least favorite season. Plus, it always seems in the way: during finals week (when I was in school and now that I'm teaching) and right before christmas.

But I always want to do something "happy" for it anyway so that my mood doesn't plummet even further. So for lunch, Jeff and Asher took me out to a nice restaurant, but unfortunately this turned out to be more hectic and harried than fun (thanks anyway, Jeff). And in the evening, my awesome friend Kristin insisted on watching Asher for a bit so that Jeff and I could go out on our own and actually have a conversation. We did and it was great. After that, the boys sang me happy birthday and showered me with presents.

But I still hate my birthday.

It's still raining

2007-12-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

Sadly enough, Asher's newest word is "raining". No surprise since we are definitely in the midst of the rainy season. But we're still making the best of it. Yesterday Asher and I made some homemade clay (salt dough) and made ornaments and, of course, a big mess.

Party in Asher's Crib

2007-12-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

I would have to say that this is definitely Asher's first girlfriend. This is Olivia, the daughter of my dear friend Kristin. Asher has known Olivia since the day she was born (she is 6 weeks younger than him). He's always had a bit of a crush on her, but unfortunately, the feeling isn't always mutual. Sometime Olivia seems to want nothing to do with Asher, while other times she hugs him and wants to be in his bed (so moody, just like a girl).

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago.

This picture was taken in September of 2006 (Asher was about 6 1/2 months, Olivia about 5)

A little milestone

2007-12-11T00:26:00.000-08:00

Asher hit a milestone recently. He started putting sentences together. His "vocabulary" has been pretty extensive (for a toddler) for quite a while. Jeff even taught him to read some letters (and he even knows that Asher starts with "A" and that egg starts with "E"). He knows a wide variety of words, from the different colors to "google" (don't ask) to helicopter.

But putting sentences together is a whole new ballgame. He started out with 2 word sentences, like "more ballaboo", meaning more blueberries, or "two lello" meaning two things that are yellow. But then he started putting 3 words together, like "Ashy bubble no," meaning "I don't want to take a bath".

I guess this is why being a parent is so much fun; everything is so new and fascinating. I never knew what the process of learing a language was, and now I get to witness it first hand!

Here is a picture of our big boy on his 22nd month birthday. I can't believe he is almost two (but like my mom always tells me, he will always be his momma's boy).

Two Scoops of Raisins

2007-12-11T00:13:00.001-08:00

Here is a little video that Jeff took of Asher eating cereal. Notice how he is picking out the raisins. In the middle of it he says, "uh-oh, more Ashy" (probably meaning "I want more raisins").

Asher the artist

2007-12-10T23:55:00.000-08:00

It's been raining almost every day lately. We still try to take Asher to the park and on walks now and then, but we've definitely had to come up with more indoor activities. Last week Asher really got into painting. I know I am being the cliche parent who is showing off their child's scribbles, but just indulge me this time. And seriously, isn't he talented (hee hee).

Check it out

2007-12-02T16:31:00.000-08:00

I added a link to Jeff's project in the right column of this page. Make sure you check out the "site cam" to see the day by day progress. For those of you who don't know, Jeff is doing the construction administration on this project. It is in Washington, so he flies there every week for a couple of days.

Back from the Midwest

2007-12-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

It's been over 2 weeks since I've posted. I've just been so busy since we got back from Chicago. With teaching two nights a week and working on a small architecture project from home, every minute of my day is filled up. And Asher has never been the type of child to play on his own, so the second I try to work or get on the computer, he comes to my chair and says "up, up, up" to try to get me to put him in my lap.

Our trip to Chicago was very nice, but not at all relaxing. It seems like we always end up running around so much when we are there. There are just so many people we want to see in such a short amount of time. And almost everyone seems to live in a different suburb, so we are constantly driving back and forth, stuck in traffic, etc. Poor Asher endured so much car time, and so much time being stuck in a high chair in restaurants while we attempted to catch up with friends and family.

But it was so nice to see everyone and show Asher off. I think it is safe to say that Asher now has many adoring fans in Chicago. It was also great to see Jeff's nephews and niece. It is mind boggling how fast they've all grown up.

The weather, as expected, was cold in Chicago. So as you will see in the pictures, we didn't spend much time outdoors. Jeff and I swore that the next time we go to the midwest it will be in the Spring or Fall, when the weather is tolerable for a change!

Asher, Jeff, and Jeff's dad walked to the park one cold morning.

Asher enjoyed meal times with Grandma. We even let her give him treats a couple of times.

We went to visit some old friends of Jeff's who just had a baby 5 1/2 months ago. It confirmed that we did not miss the infant phase.

Asher found Jeff's mom's jewelry drawer one day.

We celebrated several birthdays while in Chicago. Jeff's family, like mine, has several birthdays in November and December.

Asher tryed to be a good guest at Thanksgiving dinner (which was at Jeff's sister Sheryl's house)

Asher with Grandma and Grandpa after a long, long Thanksgiving day.

Off to Chicago

2007-11-16T07:33:00.001-08:00

We're leaving for Chicago this afternoon to go visit Jeff's family and celebrate Thanksgiving with them. It's been such a busy week. I tried to take pictures of Asher a couple of days ago but only managed to get shots of the back of his head. He was just too quick for me. So I am posting one of my favorite shots from a few months ago (asher was helping me make a cake).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Asher at Play

2007-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

These are some pictures of Asher playing at home. I'm hoping they express at least a little bit of his silly, funny side.

Halloween - Roarrrrr

2007-11-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

Asher didn't quite know what to make of Halloween. For one, he doesn't eat or know what candy is, so trick or treating was just an exercise of getting sparkly, colorful things from strangers. Plus, it took him quite a while to figure out why everyone all of a sudden seemed to be dressed like animals or elmo or scary things he couldn't figure out. Nevertheless he had fun.

We took him to The Kennedy School (an old school that has been converted into a restuarant/B&B/Brewpub/theater). There were so many kids there and lots of adults giving out candy (Asher liked picking out the chocolate eyeballs). He seemet to really enjoy seeing all the costumes, but most of all, he loved being a lion and having a tail (even if his costume was itchy).

A Perfect Fall Day

2007-11-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago we had perfect Fall weather. So right after breakfast on Saturday, we went to a pumpkin patch on Sauvie Island, which is about 30 minutes from Portland. We started out in the animal barn where Asher got to see cows, sheep, pigs, and even a llama. We then went on a hayride out to the actual pumpkin patch (where unfortunately most of the pumpkins were dead since it's so late in the season) and then went to the market and bought some fresh farm produce.

Later in the afternoon, we thought we would tackle the growing pile of leaves in our front yard. Asher and Daddy raked, while I stuffed the leaves in the bags. We worked so hard but did not even get halfway done. Afterwards, we all went out for ice cream (Asher's favorite food by far).